Pte William Chapman 1st Beds reg. 4th Wound was fatal.

[Sally B]

Pte William Chapman 15932 1st Bedfords - I have read a report that says he was fatally wounded in October 1917 when he was hit in the neck by a german bullet, he subsequently died on 27th October 1917, he is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. He was reported to have three wound stripes on the sleeve of his tunic, he was a stretcher bearer. I am trying to find out more about the three previous wounds and would be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction as I seem to be drawing a blank. Would they have been recorded anywhere?

[chaz]

ancestry may have him also same number but Lincolnshire regt. albeit class Z ,also named William, Bedford and Lincoln not that far apart. maybe more searching to do

[Sally B]

Name:

William Chapman

Birth Place:

Eltisley, Cambs

Residence:

St. Neots

Death Date:

27 Oct 1917

Death Place:

France and Flanders

Enlistment Place:

St. Neots, Hunts

Rank:

Private

Regiment:

Bedfordshire Regiment

Battalion:

1st Battalion

Regimental Number:

15932

Type of Casualty:

Died of wounds

Theatre of War:

Western European Theatre

This is the soldier about who I am seeking more information. Definitely 1st Bedfords.

[sotonmate]

SallyB

Original Medal Rolls give his first Battalion on landing in France on 30 Aug 1915 as the 8th, which at that time was part of 71 Infantry Brigade of 24 Division.

In Oct 1915 the Brigade moved to 6 Division,and Nov 1915 the 8th Battalion moved to 16 Infantry Brigade in 6 Division. At an indeterminate time later he was transferred to 1 Battalion,which was part of 15 Infantry Brigade of 5 Division. There doesn't seem to be a surviving service record so it will be difficult to discover his wounds/dates. There would probably have been one which caused him to leave the 8th and return to the 1st and then he died of wounds whilst with the 1st,so the other two wounds may have been treated locally without him withdrawing for any length of time from 8 Bn. There are only a few sample records of Admission and Discharge Registers surviving in series MH106 at Kew but no means of knowing which place he was treated in anyway. I do know that Forces War Records have started to digitise these records and they are searchable on name and number but not sure how far they have got:

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/ww1-records

[Sally B]

Sotonmate, very many thanks for your help .